Illinois School Board Journal May/June 2024

AAt a recent Division Meeting, the guest speakers mentioned that it had been 25 years since the school shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.

It’s true. The tragedy now known simply as Columbine took place on April 20, 1999. But 25 years still seems wrong.

It seems wrong, of course, because as with all things time, we perceive those 25 years to have passed so quickly.

On the other hand, it also seems wrong because we perceive we have been living in the shadow of Columbine for much longer. For forever.

Columbine, when it happened, was not the worst mass casualty incident at a school, or even the first school shooting, but it occurred during a golden age of live television news coverage, between the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster and 9/11, when people still watched the news for news. We experienced those moments shock, confusion, grief together but on TV. Fifteen people died at Columbine: 12 students, one teacher, and the two shooters, both of whom were also students at Columbine High School. It was the deadliest mass shooting at a high school in U.S. history until it was surpassed in

February 2018 by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Florida. Sandy Hook, Santa Fe, Uvalde, Oxford there are more but today we don’t always hear about them unless the death toll is high. The guest speakers who mentioned Columbine were Eric Arnold, Illinois School and Campus Safety Program Director for the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards

Board Executive Institute at Western Illinois University, and David Saitta, NIMS/ICS Program Manager for the Illinois Fire Service Institute at the University of Illinois. They team up to bring information on the Illinois School and Campus Safety Program to the education community including to IASB Division Meetings and the Joint Annual Conference. On that night, they spoke about Active Shooter Incident Management, including developing a command structure and preparation with a focus on reunification. The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program features collaborations among a wide range of state agencies to provide training and resources on every school safety subject you can imagine, and some you can’t.

As terrible as they are, school shootings aren’t the only threats to schools and the people in them. In 1967, students in Belvidere schools were killed and more injured when a tornado struck as schools were letting out. In 1995, seven CaryGrove High School students were killed when their school bus failed to clear a crossing and was hit by a commuter train. And of course, in 2020 the world and Illinois schools experienced the life-altering COVID-19 pandemic, the direct impacts of which are being felt four years later. We would be failing the victims of school tragedies if we did not learn from them. Columbine prompted a wave of conversation and an entire industry of threat assessment and prevention methodologies for violent incidents at schools. It opened up space in the national conversation for all safety and security topics. IASB hopes its members will continue to participate, to learn, and to have local conversations about school safety and security.

Theresa Kelly Gegen is the Editor of the Illinois School Board Journal and can be reached at tgegen@iasb.com.

The Foundations of the Principles

By Patrick Allen

DDuring a Friday Focus Workshop at the Joint Annual Conference this past November, I was asked a question I hadn’t even considered during my time at IASB – when were the Foundational Principles of Effective Governance developed? The concepts behind the Foundational Principles have always been in existence, and effective boards have followed them, even when they were not yet formalized. I wanted to be able to give an answer to the board member who asked this question, so I told the participants that I was going to grab my phone and send a message to a former IASB employee who might know the answer. After sending the message, I got a response, and a lot quicker than I thought I would. The Foundational Principles were formalized in 1997.

This led me to wonder about this formalization process that happened around 1997. I think about how instrumental the Foundational Principles are in everything we do today. They are discussed during every board self-evaluation. They are brought up at Division Meetings. They are a focus when my colleagues and I are determining what panels we will do at Joint Annual Conference. They are mentioned when board members call for advice when dealing with issues on their boards.

If they are such a “foundational” part of the work that happens within IASB today, what was it like before 1997? What did board self-evaluations look like? What was the focus of panels at Friday Focus workshops at Conference? I decided to get to the bottom of these questions, so I called the former

John Allen with granddaughter Emma.

Current and former Field Services Directors Patrick and John Allen.

IASB Board of Directors

As of April 5, 2024

PRESIDENT

Mark Harms

VICE PRESIDENT

Tracie Sayre

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Simon Kampwerth Jr.

TREASURER

Marc Tepper

ABE LINCOLN

Christopher Gordon

BLACKHAWK

Jeff Johnson

CENTRAL ILLINOIS VALLEY

Tim Custis

CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Jianan Shi

CORN BELT

Nick Sartoris

DUPAGE

Thomas Ruggio

EGYPTIAN

Lisa Irvin

ILLINI

Kimberly KenileyAshbrook

KASKASKIA

Linda Eades

KISHWAUKEE

Robert Geddeis

LAKE

Marc Tepper

NORTH COOK

Alva Kreutzer

NORTHWEST

Chris Buikema

SHAWNEE

Sheila Nelson

SOUTH COOK

Joyce Dickerson

SOUTHWESTERN

Mark Christ

STARVED ROCK

Jim McCabe

THREE RIVERS

Liz Campbell

TWO RIVERS

Lisa Schwartz

WABASH VALLEY

Mandy Rieman

WEST COOK

Janice Roeder

WESTERN

Sue McCance SERVICE ASSOCIATES

Stephen Nelson

The vision of the Illinois Association of School Boards is excellence in local school board governance supporting quality public education.

The mission of the Illinois Association of School Boards is to Light the Way for its members by developing their competence and confidence through a robust toolkit designed to build excellence in local school board governance, including

• Premier training experiences;

• Networking opportunities for mutual support;

• Valuable benefits, pooled services, information, and expertise;

• Advocacy on behalf of public education; and

• A platform for a strong collective voice on common interests and concerns.

IASB employee I discussed earlier. His name is John Allen. He was a former school board member for 12 years in Marion and worked at IASB in the 1990s as a Field Services Director. He also happens to be my dad. I spent a Monday afternoon at dad’s house and asked him these burning questions.

Son: Hi, dad. Thanks for spending some time with me to answer some questions that I have.

Dad: It is my pleasure. It is always great to spend time with the best son in the world. (paraphrased)

Son: Before the Foundational Principles were formalized, what did board self-evaluations look like? What was their focus?

Dad: The concepts of the Foundational Principles have always existed, we just never had them down on paper or called them anything. When we would get together around the watercooler or at our regular department meetings, we always talked about these concepts and how they fit in with good school board governance, but we didn’t have a name for them. We spent a lot of time speaking about how boards set policy. We wondered about what we mean when we say boards set policy and ask what should boards do. Some of us, and then all of us, read John Carver’s book Boards that Make A Difference. Just the title is inviting, right?

Son: When it was decided to formalize these concepts into what are now called the Foundational Principles of Effective Governance, what did this group look like?

Dad: Simply, it started by asking “Is this board work?” and eventually lead to “What is board work?” By way of background, IASB Field Services staff historically had been superintendents. In the ‘80s, IASB hired local school board members and people with business and educational or corporate training backgrounds. So these conversations evolved from different perspectives. In addition, as staff we were encouraged to consider how IASB could increase its value to member districts, so this gave Field Service something concrete.

Son: From these informal conversations, how did the group become formal?

Dad: We continued these conversations during our regular Field Service Department meetings. We decided to bring in others from around the Association, who also worked with school board members, like Policy. Communications was instrumental in helping us develop and edit our thoughts. We eventually had three offsite trips where the only focus was the eventual Foundational Principles. Between these meetings, we engaged other organizations, like IASA, and used them as a sounding board for our concepts. We wanted to get looks from many different angles to see how these concepts would fit in the landscape of school board work. Further, we made sure that Carver’s book was available at the Joint Annual Conference bookstore for early adopters. We also let some of the boards know we’d be available to dig more deeply into how the Foundational

IASB Administration and Staff

As of April 15, 2024

OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Kimberly A. Small, Executive Director

Jeremy Duff y, Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel

Tulsi Srinivasan, HR Director

Chris Montrey, Admin. Assistant

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Chris Lawton, Director

Patrick Shea, Assistant Manager

EXECUTIVE SEARCHES

Patricia Sullivan-Viniard, Director

Carmen Ayala, Consultant

Tim Buss, Consultant

Jim Helton, Consultant

Dave Love, Consultant

Alan Molby, Consultant

Vic Zimmerman, Consultant

Mary Torgler, Admin. Assistant

OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL

Jeremy Duff y, General Counsel and Deputy Executive Director

Maryam Brotine, Assistant General Counsel

Debra Jacobson, Assistant General Counsel

Ummehani Faizullabhoy, Assistant Director

Michael Ifkovits, Legal Assistant

Karis Li, Legal Assistant

POLICY SERVICES

Angie Powell, Associate Executive Director

Nicholas Baumann, Director

John Fines, Director

Garth Minor, Director

Tammie Ng, Director

Breanna Rabacchi, Assistant Manager

Emily Tavernor, Assistant Manager

Tasha Levy, Admin. Assistant

Jennifer Robinson, Admin. Assistant

Tayler Heidbreder, Specialist

GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS

Sarah Miller, Associate Executive Director

Mary Ellen Buch, Director

Barbara Hobrock, Director

Mike Stevens, Director

Alie Wagner, Admin. Assistant

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

Jennifer Feld, Chief Financial Officer and Associate Executive Director

Karen Faith, Assistant Business Manager

Camille Gillette, Specialist III

Ruth Ann Ferris, Receptionist

Sally Kimmel, Receptionist

FIELD AND EQUITY SERVICES

Lori Grant, Interim Associate Executive Director

Reatha Owen, Senior Director

Patrick Allen, Director

Arlana Bedard, Director

Kathryn Bulava, Director

Perry Hill IV, Director

Laura Martinez, Director

Natalie Williams-McMahon, Director

Yolanda Chavez, Admin. Assistant

Nancy Johnson, Admin. Assistant

Cindy Rispens, Admin. Assistant

Shantel Rotherham, Admin. Assistant

Miranda Sexton, Admin. Assistant

Gretchen Watson, Admin. Assistant

BOARD DEVELOPMENT

Lori Grant, Associate Executive Director

Sandra Kwasa, Director

Rhonda Cass Mackiney, Assistant Director

Haylie Noltensmeier, Admin. Assistant

Linda Zulaski, Admin. Assistant

MEETINGS MANAGEMENT

Carla S. Bolt, Director

Natalie Duke, Assistant Director

COMMUNICATIONS

Kara Kienzler, Associate Executive Director

Theresa Kelly Gegen, Director

Heath Hendren, Director

Jennifer Nelson, Director

Isaac Warren, Assistant Director

Bridget Kusturin, Admin. Assistant

PRODUCTION SERVICES

Katie Grant, Director

Matt Schultz, Graphic Designer

Jeff Armbruster, Print Shop Operator/Graphics

Principles could work on their boards.

Son: I know I am skipping ahead a bit, but once these were finalized, how were they implemented? Did IASB have a formal announcement?

Dad: We were purposely lowkey in implementation. We did not want to appear heavy handed and come across as IASB is now telling all school boards how to behave. There was not a formal announcement of any kind. We as Field Service Directors just started to discuss these items during our board self-evaluations, and they, over time, became foundational to our work.

Son: What impacts did the Foundational Principles have on future work that you did?

Dad: They began to establish consistency across all Field Service Directors in regard to our board self-evaluations. We had a focus that was clearer than what we had previously had. We still talked as a team about how they were working, and used feedback from each other and our members, and we adjusted as we needed to so that we could be clearer and more concise so that the Foundational Principles could stand the test of time.

The Foundational Principles of Effective Governance have stood the test of time. While the issues that face school boards have changed constantly since 1997, the core governance focus has not, and will not. School boards will continue to face difficult issues within their districts. If they aspire to follow the

Foundational Principles, they will be able to effectively lead their district through any crisis it might face.

Dad left IASB in 1998 and continued to work in education until he retired in 2008. He enjoys reading, riding his bike, hanging out with his grandkids, all things Illini, and Cardinals baseball.

Dad, in conclusion: I am really pleased that the Foundational Principles are still being used. Board work is very important community work and it seems using effective governance can assure that individual school boards focus on building a great future for all communities.  Patrick

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Training, Resources Provided to School Districts

By Theresa Kelly Gegen

WWith an emphasis on cross-collaboration between state and federal public safety departments, school districts, and communities, the Illinois School and Campus Safety Program offers resources for education, prevention, and management of school safety concerns.

The Program provides awareness and preparedness training to enhance organizational capacity to plan for, respond to, and recover from an emergency or disaster, and runs the Illinois School and Campus Safety Resource Center website, https://ilschoolsafety.org/, which has an abundance of resources related to school safety and security.

“One discipline can’t do it all,” said Eric Arnold, Illinois School and Campus Safety Program Director for the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board Executive Institute at Western Illinois University. Arnold and David Saitta, NIMS/ICS Program Manager for the Illinois Fire Service Institute at the University of Illinois, team up to bring information on the Illinois School and Campus Safety Program to the education community. Saitta and Arnold speak at the Joint Annual Conference and other IASB events.

“We realize we can’t respond to events in our silos,” Saitta said.

“The program and its concepts apply to all hazards that can affect your schools.”

The array of collaborators, partners, and resource providers include the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA); the Illinois Association of School Boards and Illinois Principals Association; the Illinois Fire Service Institute; Illinois State Police; the Illinois School Resource Officers’ Association (ILSROA); the Illinois School Psychologists Association (ISPA); the Louisiana State University NCBRT/ Academy Of Counter-Terrorist Education; the National Domestic

Preparedness Consortium; REMS Emergency Readiness and Management for Schools; Safe 2 Help Illinois; and the Schools/Campus School Safety Information Sharing Program of the Statewide Terrorism & Intelligence Center (STIC).

How do school officials fit into the structure with the first responders during an incident? What needs to be in place before an incident happens and it can happen anywhere — to prevent, support, and recover?

Focusing during one recent talk on the issues of reunification in the wake of a violent incident, Saitta and Arnold shared how school districts can work with their community first responders in training programs offered to school districts and other educational entities by the Illinois School and Campus Safety Program. The School Safety and Violent Event

Incident Management course is designed to improve incident management and response integration of school personnel and emergency responders (law enforcement, fire, EMS) to violent events in schools. The course provides a validated framework to manage violent event response to improve time to threat neutralization, medical intervention, survivability of victims, and reunification of students with parents.

The K-12 course offerings include Developing Emergency Operations Plans K-12 101 Trainthe-Trainer; Behavioral Threat Assessment; Digital Threat Assessment and Advanced Digital Threat Assessment; Railroad Safety for First Responders, Educators, and School Bus Drivers; Understanding and Planning for School Bombing Incidents; Incident Response to

Terrorist Bombings; Preparing for the Unimaginable: An In-Depth Look at Wellness, Trauma Recovery, and Resilience; and Site Safety Security Assessment.

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program encourages those concerned with school and campus safety, including administrators, faculty, staff, police, fire, emergency managers, EMS, and others, are encouraged to schedule and participate in the trainings with their communities. The courses and webinars are tuition free to Illinois public and private schools, colleges, and universities. 

Theresa Kelly Gegen is the Editor of the Illinois School Board Journal. Resources associated with this article can be accessed via isab.com/Journal.

Safeguarding K-12 Organizations From Cybersecurity Threats

Adapted and reprinted with permission of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

TThere is no more important institution to the future prosperity and strength of the United States than our nation’s K-12 education system. K-12 schools and school districts have adopted advanced networking technologies that facilitate learning and make schools more efficient and effective. This technological gain, however, has introduced heightened risks.

Malicious cyber actors are targeting K-12 education organizations across the country, with potentially catastrophic impacts

on students, their families, teachers, and administrators.

The K-12 cybersecurity challenge was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly tested the nation’s education system, necessitating an unexpected pivot to virtual learning that rendered our K-12 educational institutions increasingly vulnerable as new technologies were adopted on an unprecedented scale. Cyberattacks, and the threat thereof, strained resources and impacted delivery of critical education services across the nation.

This has placed an untenable burden on our educational institutions and the populations that they serve and protect — children, parents, and educators. A continuing drumbeat of cyber intrusions is threatening the nation’s ability to educate our children while also placing personal information and school data at risk.

Congress recognized this heightened risk environment by enacting the K-12 Cybersecurity Act of 2021 (“The Act”), which required the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

(CISA) to report on cybersecurity risks facing elementary and secondary schools and develop recommendations that include cybersecurity guidelines designed to help schools face these risks. Our resultant report provides insight into the current threat landscape and the K-12 community’s capacity to prevent and mitigate cyberattacks. Recommendations throughout this report are informed by insights from policymakers, government officials, and members of the K-12 community.

These recommendations are presented with a caveat: change must come from the top down. Leaders must establish and reinforce a cybersecure culture. Information technology and cybersecurity personnel cannot bear the burden alone.

support that measurably reduces risk.

Increasingly, school or school district systems have been breached, with data deleted, misused, or even held for ransom. This trend has continued … and leaders across the K-12 community are coming to recognize that no school, district, or organization is immune from cyber intrusions. Low-income districts are in many cases most at-risk and vulnerable to cyberattacks and need focused support given lack of financial resources.

To fulfill the Act’s requirement for stakeholder input, CISA hosted and facilitated a series of roundtable listening and feedback sessions with key

These recommendations are presented with a caveat: change must come from the top down. Leaders must establish and reinforce a cybersecure culture.

The complete report, principally intended for leaders in the K-12 community, including superintendents, district and school administrators, school boards, and state policy-makers, is available online and excerpted here. CISA will continue to engage with federal partners, including the U.S. Department of Education, and work closely with state and local officials, school leaders, emergency management officials, nonprofits, community leaders, and the private sector to identify areas for progress and provide meaningful

stakeholder groups outlined in the legislation and relevant to the K-12 education community, including superintendents, principals, school administrators, and teachers. Nearly all reported that they needed simplicity, prioritization, and resources targeted to the unique needs and context of K-12 organizations.

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report from 2023 found: “From 2018 to the present, schools in most states have reported cyberattacks on their systems. COVID-19 remote learning protocols increased school districts’ usage

of IT systems and increased the potential for a cyberattack as threat actors view schools as opportunistic targets.”

More specifically, the report noted cyberattacks on K-12 schools have resulted in:

Monetary losses for targeted schools due to the downtime and resources needed to recover from incidents.

Loss of learning following a cyberattack ranging from three days to three weeks, and full recovery time ranging from two to nine months.

Over two million students were affected by ransomware attacks on schools and districts.

Key Findings and Recommendations

Finding 1: With finite resources, K–12 institutions can take a small number of steps to significantly reduce cybersecurity risk. Invest in the most impactful security measures and build toward a mature cybersecurity plan by taking these three steps:

• Implement highest priority security controls.

• Prioritize further near-term investments in alignment with the full list of CISA’s Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals.

• Over the long term, develop a unique cybersecurity plan that leverages the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.

Finding 2: Many school districts struggle with insufficient IT resources and cybersecurity capacity. Recognize and actively address resource constraints:

• Work with the state planning committee to leverage the

State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP).

• Utilize free or low-cost services to make near-term improvements in resource-constrained environments.

• Expect and call for technology providers to enable strong security controls by default for no additional charge.

• Minimize the burden of security by migrating IT services to more secure cloud versions.

Finding 3 : No K-12 entity can single-handedly identify and prioritize emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and risks. Focus on collaboration and information sharing:

• Join relevant collaboration groups, such as MS-ISAC and K12 SIX.

• Work with other information-sharing organizations, such as fusion centers, state school safety centers, other state and regional agencies, and associations.

• Build a strong and enduring relationship with CISA and FBI regional cybersecurity personnel.

Resource Constraints:

A Closer Look

Most school districts are doing a lot with a little. There is a clear need for increased cybersecurity budgeting and support mechanisms across the community. This resource shortfall is a major constraint to implementing effective cybersecurity programs across all K-12 entities. To this end, CISA recommends that

K-12 organizations take four key steps:

First, work with state planning committees to leverage the SLCGP managed by CISA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. SLCGP will provide grants totaling one billion dollars to U.S. state, local, territorial, and tribal governments over the next four years. The 50 states, five territories, and District of Columbia are eligible to apply via each state/territory/district administrative agency. Participation in the SLCGP requires each state, territory, or district to establish a cybersecurity planning committee that coordinates, develops, and approves a cybersecurity plan, which must include at least one representative from “institutions

of public education … within the jurisdiction of the eligible entity.”

Leveraging these cybersecurity planning committees can result in improved strategic and resource cyber planning, cyber grant funding proposals, consolidated technical service requests, and information sharing across the K-12 community. K-12 organizations should also consider leveraging the Homeland Security Grant Program, which dedicates 7.5% of funds to support critical infrastructure cybersecurity.

Moreover, as noted in the October 2022 GAO report, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) provides support to K-12 entities through the schools and libraries universal service support

program, commonly known as the E-Rate program. This program subsidizes telecom and broadband-related services to and within schools, primarily focusing on basic connectivity but including certain cybersecurity services like basic firewall protection services. In the wake of the recent ransomware attack on the Los Angeles Unified School District, a group of collaborators requested that the FCC expand its cybersecurity support. In response to this and other requests, in December 2022, the FCC requested public comment on whether it should permit the use of E-Rate funds to support advanced or next-generation firewalls and services, as well as other cybersecurity services.

Second, utilize free or low-cost services to make near-term improvements in resource-constrained environments. For example, CISA has published a Free Cybersecurity Services and Tools catalog, which provides a one-stop resource for K-12 entities of all sizes to find free public and private sector resources to reduce their cybersecurity risk. This page is frequently updated and is an essential starting point for all organizations. Resources on this page are divided into several categories, including (1) reducing the likelihood of a damaging cyber incident; (2) detecting malicious activity quickly; (3) responding effectively to confirmed incidents; and (4) maximizing resilience.

Third, ask more of technology providers. Nearly all K-12 organizations rely on major technology companies for most of their IT functions. K-12 organizations should expect the technology used for core educational functions, like learning management and student administrative systems, to have strong security controls enabled by default for no additional charge. A key example is phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication or two-factor authentication: K-12 organizations should demand that all core educational technology products have this critical security control enabled for all administrator accounts at minimum, at no additional cost to the K-12 organization. CISA will work with interested K-12 organizations on a set of expected security controls and secure-bydesign attributes critical for all technologies used for high-priority functions.

Fourth, minimize the burden of security. Identity services and

mail systems are high-priority targets for attackers. As you consider ways to eliminate on-premises systems, prioritize those. Many K-12 organizations operate their own IT systems, known as “on premises.” Such systems require time to patch, to monitor, and to respond to potential security events. Few K-12 organizations have the resources and expertise to keep them secure. CISA has observed that most smaller organizations across sectors cannot continuously handle the security and time commitments of running on-premises mail and file storage services, for example. K-12 organizations should urgently consider migrating on-premises IT services to the cloud. While it is not possible to categorically state that “the cloud is more secure,”

migration to the cloud will be a more secure and resilient option for many K-12 organizations.

Conclusion

The education sector is foundational to U.S. strength and prosperity, but it is under unprecedented risk. Now more than ever, cyber actors are targeting our nation’s education system and increased cybersecurity demands add strain to school districts that are already doing so much. K-12 stakeholders and education sector partners informed and shaped this report, and we are grateful for the thoughts and expertise shared by those “on the ground.” We learned that what the sector needs most is resources, simplicity, and prioritization. Accordingly, this report strives to

cut through the noise and offer clear steps that are prioritized to help K-12 organizations implement the most effective cybersecurity controls first. 

As the nation’s cyber defense agency, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) remains committed to working with its federal, state, local and territorial partners, and directly with the K-12 community to provide expertise, guidance, and resources across the preparedness continuum that will strengthen safety and security of schools across the country. Reprinted and excerpted with permission of CISA. The full report is available at https://www.cisa.gov/ protecting-our-future-cybersecurity-k-12, or via the resources link at iasb.com/Journal.

Creating Emergency Plans for Students with Disabilities

By Tod Schneider

AAs school district decision-makers, you might have two elephants in the middle of the room: crisis planning in general and crisis planning for campuses serving individuals with access or functional needs (AFN), or disabilities of any kind. These challenges cover a wide range of issues, from twisted ankles to traumatic brain injuries and everything in between. Chances are your overall plan needs some serious editing, which can be quite a bit of work already. But as for your AFN plans, in many schools they don’t exist.

Accommodating for individuals with AFN, in case you were wondering, is not a crisis plan.

First, let’s take a brief look at generic school crisis planning. This is built on three fundamentals: site assessment, crisis planning, and practice:

Site Assessment: This starts with basic concepts of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED): natural and electronic surveillance, natural and electronic access control, and territoriality. Second-generation CPTED amends the site assessment parameters a bit to incorporate connectivity — how well do people appear to be getting along? Are there any indications of alienation,

intolerance, or antisocial behavior? Safe, Healthy, and Positive Environmental Design (SHAPED) broadens the picture still further, with concern for health (environmental, mental, and physical) and positivity (meaning that in addition to promoting connectivity, the school demonstrates positive outcomes: successful teaching and learning, against a background of overall mutual support and positive engagement.) Postings and artwork observed throughout the school provide some clues regarding connectivity and positivity. For example, how many postings deliver negative messages (no running, no talking, etc.) and how many deliver supportive, inclusive messages (applauding student accomplishments in academics as well as in sports and offering supportive suggestions and referrals, such as where to get help applying for work or college). If the environment is alienating and negative to any degree, we would suggest the introduction of positive behavior and intervention support measures — but that’s a whole other elephant!

Crisis Planning: Now that the site itself is reasonably functional, we need to determine how to handle crises, ranging from the commonplace to the horrific, including:

• Traffic-related injuries and allergic reactions. These are the most common sources of preventable injury to students.

• Fires and gas leaks. These are not common, but they have happened in schools on occasion over the past two centuries, sometimes with horrific results. Fortunately, the growth of aggressive preventive measures and enforced building codes over the years have reduced their frequency considerably. Nevertheless, there’s no downside to continuing to be prepared.

• Depending on your school, assaults or bullying could be daily occurrences and intruders could show up every month or two.

• Active shooters. Fortunately, these catastrophes will statistically almost never happen in most schools — but they will likely happen somewhere, so we do have to be prepared. Everyone should know when to lock down or evacuate, and how to do so.

Drills and Emergency Exercises: Plans are effectively worthless without regular practice, but in too many schools, plans become museum pieces almost immediately,

gathering dust on bookshelves. Consider your likely skill level if you never got past writing down plans for dancing, driving, or playing soccer. The same goes for emergency responses — practice is essential.

All of the above could take up many months, if not years, of your time. These are big projects that absorb considerable time and energy; success is worthy of well-earned congratulations. But how about our second challenge: AFN crisis planning?

Here are three major components of school safety planning for sites that serve students and staff with Access or Functional Needs:

Step 1: Ask Students to Help with Your AFN Site Assessments

Think of AFN site assessments as standard assessments on steroids. The challenges are far more complex and many of the students are far more vulnerable than are their mainstream classmates. For this reason, assessors are obliged to look a lot closer, for a lot more details, that affect a wider variety of staff and students.

Imagine trying to respond to an earthquake while profoundly disabled and unable to move on your own. What’s precariously towering over you, at risk of falling? When the other students are ducking under their desks, how are you supposed to take cover?

Try to look at the site through the eyes of students with a variety of disabilities, or at least alongside them. Walking through the site with an autistic student can yield great insights. If they have communication challenges, they might not be able to articulate their

concerns, so your observations can be important. Do they avoid certain flooring due to visual patterns? Do they avoid areas or paths that are noisier or more congested? How do students they pass in the halls interact with them? Can they tell you where they have had problems with bullies?

For more insights, try other challenges on for size, such as by rolling through the site in a wheelchair. What do you have to roll through or over? How does the sitting position affect your ability

traffic conflicts, doors that are too hard to open or thresholds that are too difficult to roll over. They can also tell you what makes them feel most welcome, who they can turn to for help, and what kind of furniture is easiest to sit still in.

As for connectivity, from an AFN perspective this will involve looking for indicators of inclusive design and operations, including communication approaches that go beyond standard postings on bulletin boards.

... [A] pragmatic approach that may be helpful is to let go of diagnoses for a moment and concentrate on practical abilities or disabilities that pertain to emergency responses.

to see people, obstacles, signs, or destinations? Can you open doors, or is it too awkward? Has storage found its way out into the hallway, creating pedestrian traffic congestion, or otherwise hampering your movement?

If that was too easy, try to find your way out with your eyes closed. How does it affect your stress level if furniture is moved slightly, or book bags are dropped in your path? Bear in mind that these challenges present fairly simple, one-dimensional disabilities. Many students are challenged simultaneously by more than one, such as blindness and cognitive disabilities. Well-prepared able-bodied assessors with good checklists can learn a lot on their own, but only students can tell you what makes sense to them and what doesn’t, where they encounter bullies,

Step 2: AFN Crisis Planning

AFN crisis planning revisits general crisis planning but takes it up a notch, with a heightened awareness and concern for specific access or functional needs, one challenge or disability at a time. For example, people who rely on wheelchairs will need different accommodations than people who are deaf or blind, and those people in turn will have much different needs than students with autism, Asperger’s, ODD, emotional disorders, psychiatric problems, or medical issues.

Planning for clusters of students with similar needs is an efficient and important intermediate step, but to do this right, schools are advised to add another layer to their crisis planning by developing personal emergency plans (PEP). PEPs (these go by a few different

names) can be thought of as individual education plans (IEPs) but are focused entirely on crisis management and responses rather than on academics. Just as with IEPs, PEPs are differentiated for each student.

For example, some children come when called while others only respond when you announce it’s time for dessert. Some children run when they hear alarms, while others collapse, and a few have seizures. Many students with AFN are far more complicated, facing multiple challenges that borrow symptoms from all kinds of labels or that defy categorization entirely. The subsequent need for individual fine-tuning is why it’s necessary to have PEPs.

Especially with complicated challenges, a pragmatic approach that may be helpful is to let go of diagnoses for a moment and concentrate on practical abilities or disabilities that pertain to emergency responses. For example, regardless of diagnosis, can this person hear, see, and understand announcements or instructions? Do they speak and understand English, including words related to emergencies, like “lockdown” or “evacuate?” Can they follow directions, maintain silence, sit still, or remain calm in a crisis? Can they tolerate loud alarms, flashing lights, or crowded halls? Can they use their arms, hands, legs, or torsos? Can they walk or roll without assistance, or do they require professional aides?

If students need aides, are the aides assigned one-on-one, fulltime, throughout the school day, or are aides spread thin, helping

multiple students in different classrooms throughout the day? Can all students crouch against walls, under desks, or in comforting nooks within the room?

Can they cover their heads? Can they be easily lifted or moved, or are they medically fragile? Can they realistically be expected to run, hide, or fight? Can they breathe on their own? Can they be disconnected from medical equipment? Have they ever met any first responders? Do they recognize police, fire, or medics as helpers? What are their common reactions to stressful situations? Can they control impulsive behavior? Do they have a means of communicating their needs or calling for help?

Step 3: Practice,

Practice, Practice

Finally, while practice is critical for everyone (and most schools now conduct a variety of emergency drills monthly), practice is even more essential for students or staff with access or functional needs. For students whose disabilities make it hard to understand and absorb lessons, monthly practice might not be enough — in many cases, daily practice might be necessary.

For some students, anything new and different is cause for anxiety and can trigger a panicked response. In such cases it’s productive to remember that such students are comforted by the routine nature of their daily lives; anything that is done regularly is likely to be less stressful. Drills that upset them when conducted monthly can be transformed into comfortable experiences if eased into and conducted daily.

For students with cognitive or learning disabilities, drills might not be upsetting, but it still takes a lot more repetition before new information is likely to stick. For traumatized or sensory-disabled students, desensitization is key. As was the case for students with cognitive or anxiety-related disorders, repeated, daily practice, starting with the quietest, low-key version and only gradually increasing the noise, speed, or intensity, can be a useful approach.

The more challenging their disabilities, the more students are obliged to rely on aides, buddies, friends, or other staff, which means it’s the latter individuals, far more than the students themselves, who must know what they are doing. These helpers need to know everything from basic disability etiquette (i.e., ask first, treat wheelchairs with respect, don’t pet the dog) to personal needs, such as how to safely lift students into or out of wheelchairs, how to use Evac-chairs, and anything else spelled out in the student’s PEP.

Attend to all of the above and your school will be in a far better position to protect not only the student body in general, but the most vulnerable students among them. 

This article, which originally appeared in Campus Safety, was written by Tod Schneider, CEO of Safe School Design LLC, and an adjunct analyst with Safe Havens International (SHI). It is Part 1 in a series on crisis management for schools serving individuals with Access or Functional Needs (AFN), or other disabilities. The series is available at www. campussafetymagazine.com/. Reprinted with permission of Campus Safety

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Be Action Oriented

Crucial Characteristics of Leaders of Integrity, Part IV

By Don Parker

TThis is the final installment in a series exploring the multifaceted ways that leader integrity impacts school equity. The series highlights the four crucial characteristics of leaders of integrity: (1) courageous, (2) ethical, (3) collaborative, and (4) action-oriented. This installment is about taking action and putting actions behind words.

Action-Oriented

School leaders who support equity communicate their commitment in words and deeds; they model these ideals for staff through

their behavior. Leading by example, or modeling, is associated with authentic and ethical approaches to leadership. Moving from having conversations about equity to taking actions to establish equity seems to be a quantum leap that many schools have yet to take.

A gap exists between conversations about equity (talking the talk) and equitable actions (walking the walk). The difference between educators who talk about school equity and educators who actually take action to establish school equity lies in their level of commitment

and implementation. Educators who merely talk about equity may engage in discussions, acknowledge the importance of equity, and express support for inclusive practices. However, their efforts often remain at a superficial level, lacking concrete actions to bring about meaningful change.

In contrast, educators who actively work toward establishing school equity go beyond mere discussions and prioritize tangible steps to create an equitable learning environment. They take proactive measures to address systemic

inequities, identify and dismantle barriers, and implement inclusive policies and practices. These educators actively seek out professional development opportunities to enhance their understanding of equity issues, collaborate with colleagues to develop equitable curriculum and instructional strategies, and continually reflect on their own biases and privileges.

Educators who prioritize action understand that equity requires intentional and sustained effort. They actively advocate for marginalized students, amplify their voices, and ensure that resources and opportunities are distributed fairly. These educators consistently engage in self-reflection, challenge the status quo, and actively address disparities in student outcomes. Their commitment to action sets them apart, leading to meaningful and lasting change in the pursuit of educational equity.

Education leader Paul Fleming writes about the importance of taking action. He discusses how making a commitment is taking action toward educational equity and goes on to write about the importance of developing an equity action plan for their school where everyone agrees on the meaning of equity and what it looks like in their community. Defining what equity looks like in each person’s building is key, and the leader is the determining factor for advancing it. Leading this charge and progressing toward equity is an example of integrity and ethical leadership, because it helps establish social justice in education for all.

Educator June Rimmer emphasizes the importance of role

modeling equity when she writes, “To ensure excellence, equity and a quality learning experience for every child in every classroom every day, and to close these gaps, the principal, and other school leaders, working alongside families, must demonstrate equity-centered instructional leadership.” School leaders must establish non-negotiable standards of excellence for each student, utilize teachers’ beliefs in their ability, and support them as much as possible to do this challenging work. These are the kinds of commitment and integrity-demonstrating actions required for school leaders to advance equity in their schools. The principal acts as the chassis, which holds all the parts together while keeping the integrity intact.

self-reflection and explore personal biases and assumptions that may hinder equitable practices. Provide resources, such as articles, books, and videos, to further educate school leaders on equity-focused leadership.

The difference between educators who talk about school equity and educators who actually take action to establish school equity lies in their level of commitment and implementation.

Action 2: Establish clear equity goals. Collaborate with staff and stakeholders to develop clear, measurable equity goals that address disparities and ensure opportunities for all students and staff. Embed equity goals in the school’s vision, mission, and strategic plans to emphasize their importance and commitment; and regularly assess progress toward equity goals and make necessary adjustments to improve outcomes.

Taking Action to Build Leadership Integrity

Consider taking some of the following action steps to help build your integrity as a leader and establish an equity action plan that promotes and upholds equity in all aspects of school leadership.

Action 1: Build awareness and understanding. Conduct regular professional development sessions for school leaders to deepen their understanding of equity, systemic inequities, and the impact on students and staff. Engage in critical

Action 3: Foster inclusive decision-making. Ensure diverse voices and perspectives are represented in decision-making processes and establish inclusive committees or task forces that focus on equity-related initiatives. Encourage open dialogue and feedback from staff, students, families, and community members to inform decision-making and policy development.

Action 4: Cultivate collaborative partnerships. Collaborate with community organizations, local leaders, and advocacy groups to create partnerships that support

equity initiatives. Engage in meaningful dialogue with district leaders to align district-wide equity efforts with the school’s goals and strategies. Finally, foster strong relationships with families and involve them in decision-making processes to ensure their voices are heard.

Action 5: Model ethical leadership. Demonstrate ethical behavior and decision-making by prioritizing the well-being and rights of all students and staff. Uphold high standards of integrity, honesty, and fairness in all interactions, decisions, and address and rectify instances of inequity or bias promptly and transparently.

Action 6: Provide support and resources. Allocate resources, such

as time, professional development opportunities, and materials, to support teachers in implementing equitable practices. Offer ongoing coaching and mentoring for staff to enhance their understanding of equity and provide guidance on inclusive instructional strategies. Finally, collaborate with support staff, such as counselors and social workers, to provide resources and interventions that address students’ social-emotional needs and promote equity.

Action 7: Monitor and evaluate progress. Establish data collection systems to monitor equity-related outcomes and progress. Analyze data to identify disparities, trends, and areas requiring improvement. Use data to inform

decision-making and adjust strategies to ensure continuous improvement toward equity goals.

Conclusion

Good school leaders are like Spider-Man, and I’m not just talking about their mutual possession of superpowers! I loved reading Spider-Man comic books and watching the cartoon when I was a child. Permeating each new episode was a theme that resonated with me: “To whom much is given, much will be required.” All leaders, regardless of how large or small their following, exert power. To exert power over other people carries an ethical responsibility. “The greater the power, the more responsibility a leader has. Therefore, leaders at all levels carry a responsibility for

setting the ethical tone and for acting as role models for others” (United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, 2020).

One might ask, “What is good leadership?” The word good has two meanings in this context: technically good, meaning strong skills, and morally good, meaning heart and ethical integrity. The focus on the concept of morally good demonstrates that integrity lies at the heart of leadership. Leaders have a responsibility to behave ethically. Leaders are held to higher ethical standards. This increases leaders’ stress; integrity will be tested when balancing different perspectives of those very same people you lead.

Although they are held to higher standards, school leaders are not

perfect. As human beings, we all make mistakes. When leaders take ownership of and learn from their inevitable missteps, then forgiveness, encouragement, and better future decision-making follow. Mistakes that are combined with dishonesty and deflection breed resentment. I’ve made a million mistakes throughout my career, and some of them in my principal role. The advice I received from my mentors was to keep my integrity intact and avoid making ethical errors, because those are hard to come back from and could kill your career. They also said that whenever you’re unsure about a decision, err on the side of the best interests of students.

In the diverse and rapidly changing educational landscape,

the role of school leaders in promoting equity has never been more critical. Within this context, leader integrity emerges as a powerful force that shapes the very essence of equitable practices and outcomes. Leader integrity serves as the foundation on which equitable practices are built. When school leaders possess integrity, they demonstrate a deep commitment to ethical principles and values, fostering an environment where fairness and justice prevail. Their unwavering commitment to doing what is right, even in the face of challenges, inspires and emboldens others. The presence of leader integrity cultivates courage, enabling teachers, staff, and students to stand up for equity, challenge inequitable practices, and promote inclusivity. 

Don Parker, Ed.D., is a transformational keynote speaker and professional development provider. He specializes in SEL, supporting teachers to build trusting relationships with students, restorative practices, trauma-informed practices, and improving the culture and climate of schools to enhance students’ and teachers’ feelings of belonging. He is a former principal and the author of the books Building Bridges: Engaging Students At-Risk Through the Power of Relationships and Be the Driving Force: Leading Your School on the Road to Equity. Dr. Parker was also a speaker at the Equity Immersion at the 2023 Joint Annual Conference. This concludes the “Crucial Characteristics of Leaders of Integrity” series, which started in the November/December 2023 issue of the Journal. Read the series at iasb.com/Journal.

Ensuring the Future

A New Pipeline for Preparing Teachers Must Be a Top Priority

By Hans Andrews and Greg Rockhold

WWe cannot deny that we have fallen short in our responsibility to prepare the next generation of young minds in the United States and the world. This is a staggering number of projected teacher shortages: 225,000 in the U.S. by 2025. We must wonder why a country and its educational and political leaders have not yet crafted new ways to overcome this crisis. It has been brewing now for over a decade.

Unlike the Boy Scouts of America motto of “Be Prepared,” the educational systems in the U.S. and many other countries appear to have been anything

but prepared. Being prepared for this teacher shortage crisis would not have allowed it to reach the crisis level. “Being prepared” must become the way to get into high gear, even though it is now late in the game.

It is disheartening to see that over an 8- to 10-year awareness period, adequate measures have not yet been taken to prevent or mitigate this crisis into the future. Lee Perlis found some 56% of parents in the U.S. seriously worried that far too many teachers are still in the system and are too burned out to be as effective as needed. He also found that 65% of parents felt

uncomfortable that their school districts would open in 2023-2024 with a shortage of qualified teachers.

Illinois Teacher Shortage Update

In its sixth annual survey of teacher shortages in Illinois schools, the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools (IARSS) published the following:

• 73% of schools indicated they had teacher shortages

• 93% said the shortages were as bad or worse than the previous year

• 95% reported shortages in substitute teachers

• 2,728 teacher, special education, and support staff positions were reported as vacant or filled with persons less than qualified

• Many applying for their open positions were not qualified.

The U.S. National Crisis Continues

The once reliable university pipeline of educating future teachers in the U.S. has declined by 50% in the last decade. From 2010 to 2019, 340,000 fewer students were preparing to become teachers. A 50% decline is documented in nine states: Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and California. Oklahoma reported that the University of Central

Oklahoma teacher preparation enrollments had dropped from 1,800 to 856 in seven years.

Montana is concerned when it sees far too many teachers leaving early in their careers. Reports from Montana schools have found that 86% of students preparing to become teachers do not enter the profession, or leave the state. Montana entered the new school year over 1,000 teachers short.

How are they presently coping in Montana? A report by Nicole Girten in The 74 shows that the emergency authorization needed through the state’s Office of Emergency Authorization of Employment has allowed a doubling of emergency authorizations by 90% over two years. As with most other states, Montana has found the

present solution is to hire more paraprofessionals.

In New Mexico, over 104,000 students did not have a licensed teacher over the last seven years.

Diversity also continues to decline. Studies have found that 15,000 fewer Black students enrolled in teacher preparation programs in 2018 compared to 2010. Latino and Black student enrollments in these programs stood at 9% and 7%, respectively.

Innovative Solutions

The idea that countries with severe teacher shortages need to “innovate” new solutions is widespread. We have pushed the past couple of years to leverage the 1,200 community and technical colleges as a new pipeline source for teachers in

the U.S. It is now at the time when decisive action needs to be taken. Florida was the first state to pass legislation for its state community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees in the education areas most in need. Illinois has 50 community college campuses that could provide a significant new pipeline for the state.

Some school districts and states have started “grow your own” programs to seek out young persons in their schools to consider teaching as a career. These programs will take several years for future teachers to enter the field.

In a few states, laws have changed, and they are now enticing recently retired teachers to return. Their former teachers will not have any decrease in their retirement pay, as was the case previously.

Preparing For Attracting, Educating, And Retaining Teachers

There are numerous reasons teachers are leaving the field in large numbers across the U.S. and other countries.

Low pay comes out on top or near the top in every survey in recent years as to why teachers are considering leaving. It is also a significant concern for students when considering teaching as a career choice. In recent years, the lack of support from many school administrators, school boards, and parents is also a concern for teachers.

Brad Johnson’s “Hierarchy of Needs for Teachers” highlights what he has found as most important for teachers: (1) autonomy, (2) maximizing potential, (3) being valued and respected, (4) being appreciated, and (5) having adequate resources and time, and (6) work and life balance. How do these play out for teachers today?

Recognition and being respected – School districts that provide a recognition program for their excellent teachers should be better able to attract teachers. The Gordon Beck survey of over 23,500 teachers found over 50% of the respondents reported that there was not any form of teacher recognition in their schools.

Having adequate resources and recovery time – Another prevalent concern mentioned by teachers leaving the profession is the lack of administrative support. Some teachers report that they still spend their own funds to purchase supplies needed for their students. Far too much emphasis on high-stakes testing has replaced far too much instruction time. This has eroded

much of the support teachers had given each other as now they are put into a competitive position with the other teachers.

Overloading present teachers

– With the large number of teacher shortages, burnout becomes a significant problem for those teachers who now have to take on one or two more classes daily.

Work and life balance –Teaching with an average teaching load is stressful in and of itself. Being assigned an extra teaching load takes away recovery time after school and on weekends.

Into the Future

University teacher preparation pipelines have fallen short. The universities can no longer draw enough students to their teacher preparation programs to meet the present and projected teacher shortages. Secondly, they do not enroll the number of diverse students needed by school districts within the inner cities or throughout the rural areas.

The time to leverage community colleges is now. Community colleges already have many students with diverse backgrounds in twoyear associate degree pipelines. In addition, community colleges are already partners with almost every secondary school district in Illinois and throughout the U.S. with dual-credit programs.

In short, the schools needing teachers would only have a two or three-year waiting period for many of these students to obtain a baccalaureate degree in teaching. Many students in secondary schools who are enrolled in community college dual-credit programs end their high

school years with one or two years of college coursework completed.

Many potential adult students live in communities and may have jobs and family commitments. This makes it a much better possibility that they would remain in their home area school districts and find their teaching positions there. The needs that Johnson presented in his Hierarchy of Needs will also have to see much more effort by school districts in the U.S. and other countries to meet these needs.

Each of the other countries mentioned needs to consider what may best serve as new pipelines in their countries. The teacher shortages provide the same challenge worldwide, and developing new teacher preparation pipelines needs strong consideration.

The approaches outlined here in addressing the teacher shortages are both common sense and necessary. The severity of the teacher shortages will continue without addressing these needs now and continuing into the future. 

Hans Andrews, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Fellow in Community College Leadership through Olney Central College (Illinois). He is a former president of the college and he started the first dual-credit program in the country between community colleges and secondary schools. Greg Rockhold, Ph.D., is a former superintendent of schools and has served on the National Association of Secondary School Principals board, as former president of the New Mexico Coalition of School Administrators, and as executive director of the New Mexico Association of Secondary School Principals.

Building Futures

Launching One of the First Plumbers’ Pre-Apprenticeship Programs

By Kiley Fletcher

RRiverside-Brookfield THSD 208 (RB) had three students participate in the first cohort of the Chicago Plumbers Local Union 130 UA Training Pilot Program. In this 10-week program, students attended classes at the Chicago Training Center to prepare for a potential career in the plumbing trade.

According to the district’s College and Career Pathway Coordinator Ericka Kouba, this is one of the nation’s first pre-apprenticeship programs for prospective plumbers.

Recognizing the importance of careers in the trades industry, Riverside Brookfield High School has actively increased its support in assisting students pursuing careers in highwage, high-demand professions. The pre-apprenticeship program came to fruition when District 208 Superintendent Kevin Skinkis and board member Bill Durkin introduced the Director of the Des Plaines Valley Region Educational Cooperative (DVR), Michael Kuhn, to Training Director Anthony M. Rottman from the Plumbers Local 130.

“Rather than explaining what we do at a career fair, we wanted students to experience hands-on what plumbers do at our state-of-the-art training center,” said Rottman. DVR is a consortium of six high school districts and Triton Community College that focuses on building the future for students through career and technical education partnerships

with businesses, industries, and the community.

The pre-apprenticeship program was also presented to Leyden CHSD 212, a DVR cooperative member, resulting in eight Leyden students signing up for the program.

The inaugural class included approximately 30 students from Riverside-Brookfield, Leyden, and Chicago Public Schools. Students took two classes: Trade-Related Math, which applies geometry, algebra, and trigonometry toward practical use, and Intro to Tool Safety, teaching students how to be safe on the job site. In addition to classwork, students got a hands-on feel for a plumbing career. The instructors added content to the courses and expand on the material as students’ knowledge from their high school courses exceeded expectations.

The students who completed the program with a score of 80% or higher earned five points toward their apprenticeship exam, and an additional five points were awarded for having a letter of recommendation. These 10 extra points remove many barriers for students applying for their apprenticeship. The goal is to have

students begin their five-year apprenticeship with the Plumbers Union after graduating high school.

“This upper hand is invaluable considering that the exam and entrance into the apprenticeship program are challenging,” said Kouba.

Additionally, students met with contractors in December and were given an opportunity to interview for intent-to-hire letters. This experience equips students with the essential skills and knowledge for a successful plumbing career, allows them to forge connections with employers and industry experts before their high school graduation, and eliminates obstacles to entering an industry with excellent pay and benefits.

“I definitely see a future in plumbing, and I don’t think I would have this opportunity if it wasn’t for this program,” said Riverside Brookfield High School student Michael Rateike.

DVR has opened up this opportunity to all six districts within the region for the Spring 2024 cohort. The Spring Program began February 26 and consists of juniors and seniors who will continue the pre-apprenticeship in Fall 2024 with two new course offerings that will expand their knowledge and prepare them even more for the exam and interviews. 

Kiley Fletcher is Coordinator of Public Relations and Community Engagement for Riverside-Brookfield THSD 208.

Columns are submitted by members of the Illinois Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association

Service Associates Directory

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ARCON ASSOCIATES, INC.

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BERG ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS, LTD.

Consulting engineers. Schaumburg (847) 352-4500

BLDD ARCHITECTS, INC.

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DEWBERRY ARCHITECTS INC.

Architects, planners, landscape architecture, and engineers. Peoria (309) 282-8000; Elgin (847) 695-5840

DLA ARCHITECTS, LTD.

Architects specializing in preK-12 educational design, including a full range of architectural services, assessments, planning, feasibility studies, new construction, additions, remodeling, O&M and owner’s rep services. Itasca (847) 742-4063; www.dla-ltd.com; info@dla-ltd.com

DLR GROUP

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ERIKSSON ENGINEERING ASSOCIATES, LTD.

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GREENASSOCIATES, INC.

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ARCHITECTS

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HURST-ROSCHE, INC.

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JMA ARCHITECTS

Full service professional design firm specializing in K-12 educational design, construction management, strategic/master planning, health/life safety compliance, building commissioning, and interior space design.South Holland (708) 339-3900; www.jmaarchitects.com; allison@jmaarchitects.com

KLUBER ARCHITECTS + ENGINEERS

Building design professionals specializing in architecture, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural, and fire protection engineers. Batavia (630) 406-1213

LARSON & DARBY GROUP

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LEGAT ARCHITECTS, INC.

Architectural and educational planners who specialize in creating effective student learning environments. Gurnee (847) 622-3535; Oak Brook (630) 990-3535; Chicago (312) 258-9595; www.legat.com; jboyce@legat.com

IASB Service Associates are businesses which offer school-related products and services and which have earned favorable reputations for quality and integrity. Only after careful screening is a business firm invited to become a Service Associate.

To learn more about IASB Service Associates membership, visit www.iasb.com or contact IASB at bkusturin@iasb.com

PCM+DESIGN ARCHITECTS

Provide a full range of architectural services including facility and feasibility studies, architectural design, construction consulting, and related services. East Peoria (309) 694-5012; www.PCMPLUSD.com; whelmick@pcmplusd.com

PERFORMANCE SERVICES, INC.

An integrated design and delivery engineering company serving the design and construction facility needs of K-12 schools. Schaumburg (847) 466-7220

PERKINS&WILL

Architecture, educational planning, programing, master planning, re-referendum services. Chicago (312) 755-0770 mark.jolicoeur@perkinswill.com; aimee.eckmann@perkinswill.com; rick.young@perkinswill.com

RICHARD L. JOHNSON ASSOCIATES, INC.

Architecture, educational planning. Rockford (815) 398-1231; www.rljarch.com

STR PARTNERS

Architectural, interior design, planning, cost estimating, and building enclosure/ roofing consulting. Chicago (312) 464-1444

STUDIOGC ARCHITECTURE + INTERIORS

StudioGC is passionate community-minded partner, committed to creating imaginative and well-designed facilities. StudioGC offers innovative planning, programming, architectural, interior design, and cost estimates. Chicago (312) 253-3400

TERRA ENGINEERING, LTD.

TERRA is a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) firm certified with the City of Chicago and Illinois CMS systems, providing transportation and traffic engineering; municipal, structural, electrical, and construction engineering; site development and landscape architecture; recreation and athletic facility and land use planning; land surveying; and GIS services. Chicago.

TRIA ARCHITECTURE

An architectural planning and interior design firm that provides services primarily to school districts in the Chicagoland area with an emphasis on service to their clients, and their communities. Burr Ridge (630) 455-4500; www.triaarchitecture.com

WIGHT & CO.

A fully integrated design, engineering, and construction firm that partners with education leaders to create progressive, inspiring, and sustainable learning environments, while helping to manage risk and provide accountability in the delivery of work. Darien (630) 969-7000

WOLD ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS

Specializing in Pre-K-12 educational design including master planning, sustainable design, architecture, mechanical and electrical engineering, quality review, cost estimation and management. Palatine (847) 241-6100

Building Construction

BOLLER CONSTRUCTION CO., INC.

Construction Manager and General Contractor specializing in building and renovating schools. Waukegan (847) 662-5566

CORE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES OF IL., INC.

Professional construction management, design-build, and general contracting services. Peoria (309) 404-4700; COREconstruction.com; mikaylavincent@coreconstruction.com

F. H. PASCHEN

A general/construction manager with extensive experience in new construction and renovation of educational and institutional facilities in the public/private sectors. Chicago (773) 444-1525; www.fhpaschen.com; aizzi@fhpaschen.com

FREDERICK QUINN CORPORATION

Construction management and general contracting. Addison (630) 628-8500

HOLLAND CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, INC.

Full service construction management and general contracting firm specializing in education facilities. Swansea (618) 277-8870

IHC CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES LLC

IHC Construction Companies LLC is a full-service construction management firm that delivers new construction, additions, and renovations for School District clients on-time and within budget. Elgin (847) 742-1516

INTERNATIONAL CONTRACTORS, INC. (ICI)

An award-winning construction management firm specializing in K-12 facilities. Our firm is currently partnering with eight Illinois School Districts on capital improvement projects. Oakbrook Terrace (630) 641-6852

NICHOLAS & ASSOCIATES, INC.

Construction management, general contracting, design and build. Mt. Prospect (847) 394-6200 info@nicholasquality.com; nickjr@nicholasquality.com

PEPPER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

Construction management and general contracting services. Barrington (847) 381-2760; www.pepperconstruction; jripsky@pepperconstruction.com

POETTKER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

Specializing in construction management, design/build, construction consulting services, and energy solutions for education clients. Breese (618) 526-7213; www.poettkerconstruction.com

RUSSELL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC.

Russell provides successful, knowledgeable construction management and contracting services in the PreK-12 market from concept to completion and continuing care for your facility needs. Davenport, Iowa (563) 459-4600; www.russellco.com; sbaumann@russellco.com

SERVPRO TEAM WOLFE

Servpro Team Wolfe specializes in the cleanup and restoration of commercial properties after a fire, smoke or water damage. Assist schools in developing a recovery plan to put things back to preloss condition quickly and effectively. Effingham (314) 502-1337

S.M. WILSON & CO.

Provides construction management and general construction services to education, healthcare, commercial, retail, and industrial clients. St. Louis (314) 645-9595; www.smwilson.com; kristyn.newbern@smwilson.com; amanda.bohnert@smwilson.com

TRANE

HVAC company specializing in design, build, and retrofit. Willowbrook (636) 305-3600

Computer Software, Supplies, Services

COMMON GOAL SYSTEMS, INC.

We offer cloud-based software solutions for student information management, student registration, state reporting, financial management and payroll, parent communication, scheduling, gradebooks, report cards, and more. Des Plaines (630) 592-4200; www.common-goal.com

COMPUTER INFORMATION

CONCEPTS, INC.

Infinite Campus student information System and Finance Suite, and Tableau Data Visualization/Analytics. Greeley, Colorado (312) 995-3342

EDMENTUM

We provide fully digital curriculum and assessment tools for educators to utilize in K-12 classrooms to establish blended and personalized environments and advance student learning. Bloomington, Minnesota (952) 832-1570

Consulting

EOSULLIVAN CONSULTING

Illinois-based EOSullivan Consulting has developed a proven process the helps school districts with community engagement, survey research, messaging, informational campaigns and referendums. Libertyville (815) 353-1991

SCHOOLS OF ILLINOIS PUBLIC COOPERATIVE

SIPC is a non-profit procurement co-op for Illinois schools. Membership is free and at-will. SIPC negotiates best pricing on behalf of members for building and grounds management, operations, maintenance, improvements, janitorial, energy projects, waste management. Carbondale

Environmental Services

ALPHA CONTROLS & SERVICES, LLC

We deliver energy cost justified solutions that make the learning environment comfortable, secure, and efficient. Rockford, Springfield, Champaign (815) 227-4000; www.alpaacs.com; jasonv@alphaacs.com

VEREGY

Dedicated to assisting K-12 education meet the challenge of providing healthy, safe, and educational appropriate learning environments.

St. Louis (636) 230-0843; Chicago (773) 633-0691; veregy.com; bsmith@veregy.com

ENERGY SYSTEMS GROUP

A comprehensive energy services and performance contracting company providing energy, facility and financial solutions. Itasca (630) 773-7201; jcohn@esg.email

GRP MECHANICAL CO., INC.

Renovating buildings through energy savings performance contracting to provide the best learning environment. HVAC, plumbing, windows, doors, and mechanical services. Bethalto (618) 779-0050

IDEAL ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING, INC.

Asbestos and environmental services. Bloomington (309) 828-4259

ILLINOIS ENERGY CONSORTIUM

Sells electricity and natural gas to school districts, colleges, and universities. DeKalb (815) 753-9083; www.ILLec.org; hwallace@iasbo.org

ENGIE SERVICES

U.S.

Turnkey partnership programs that enable K12 school districts in Illinois to modernize their facilities; increase safety, security and efficiency; reduce operations costs; and maximize the lifespan of critical assets.

Chicago (312) 498-7792; sharon.uslan@engie.com

RADON DETECTION SPECIALISTS

Radon measurements in elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as all DCFS licensed spaces. We service the entire state of Illinois. Westmont (630) 325-4443 or (800) 244-4242

Financial Services

BERNARDI SECURITIES, INC.

Municipal bond specialty fi rm; off ers a full range of school bond underwriting services, including capital needs fi nancing and debt refi nancing. O’Fallon (618) 206-4180; Peru (815) 587-8972; Chicago (312) 281-2014; jvezzetti@bernardisecurities.com

BMO HARRIS BANK

BMO Harris Bank’s experienced specialists can help you build a sound strategy to help close budget gaps, manage day-to-day cash flow and maximize your resources. Chicago (312) 461-7895

GORENZ AND ASSOCIATES, LTD.

Auditing and financial consulting. Peoria (309) 685-7621

ICE MILLER, LLP

Nationally recognized bond counsel services. Chicago (312) 726-7127

KINGS FINANCIAL CONSULTING, INC.

Municipal bond financial advisory service including all types of school bonds; school referenda, county school sales tax; tax revenue forecasts/projections. Monticello (217) 762-4578

SPEER FINANCIAL, INC.

Financial planning and bond issue services. Chicago (312) 346-3700; www.speerfinancial.com; dphillips@speerfinancial.com; rmckenzie@speerfinancial.com

STIFEL

Full service securities firm providing investment banking and advisory services including strategic financial planning; bond underwriting; referendum and legislative assistance. Edwardsville (800) 230-5151; noblea@stifel.com

WINTRUST FINANCIAL

Financial services holding company engaging in community banking, wealth management, commercial insurance premium financing, and mortgage origination. Rosemont (630) 560-2120

Human Resource Consulting

ACCURATE BIOMETRICS

Live scan fingerprinting for Illinois and FBI background checks. Live scan system sales and placement. Managed services for data security and compliance. Itasca.

BUSHUE HUMAN RESOURCES, INC.

Human resource, safety and risk management, and insurance consulting. Effingham (217) 342-3042; www.bushuehr.com; steve@bushuehr.com

Insurance

THE SANDNER GROUP

Insurance program management, marketing & claims services for workers’ compensation, property & liability. Chicago (800) 654-9504

Office Equipment

EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS BY FRANK COONEY COMPANY, INC.

Furniture for educational environments. Wood Dale (630) 694-8800; www.frankcooney.com; gregory@frankcooney.com

Other

ECRA GROUP

Superintendent searches, board and superintendent workshops. Arlington Heights (847) 318-0072

Milestones

In Memoriam

Margaret L. Ames, 83, died March 31, 2024. She served for many years on the school board for Cissna Park CUSD 6.

James Anderson, 86, died February 20, 2024. He had served on the Pecatonica CUSD 321 Board of Education.

James L. “Jim” Booth, 89, died March 23, 2024. He was a past member of the Germantown Hills SD 69 school board.

Robert Earl Brame, 90, died March 5, 2024. He served on the Warrensburg-Latham CUSD 11 school board for 16 years.

Marie Doris Brausam, 70, died February 17, 2024. She was a past member of the school board for Grass Lake SD 36.

Stephen P. “Steve” Butler, 68, died February 2, 2024. He had served on the board of education for Saratoga CCSD 60C.

Robert Butzow, 79, died March 1, 2024. He served on the Crescent City School Board in Iroquois County.

Lloyd Davis, 87, died February 16, 2024. He was a past member of the Midland CUSD 7 school board.

Terry Edwards, 80, died February 16, 2024. He served on the Edinburg CUSD 4 school board.

Randall Lee Hargraves, 70, died February 24, 2024. He served for many years on the Harmony Emge SD 175 Board of Education.

Ruth Evelyn Kaufman, 87, died February 12, 2024. She was one of the first female school board members at Argenta-Oreana CUSD 1, with a goal to ensure all students received the education they deserved.

Garth Eldon Knobeloch, 90, died February 19, 2024. He was a teacher of Industrial Arts and a school board member for East Peoria CHSD 309 and East Peoria SD 86.

Edwin “Ed” David Magnuson, 94, died February 5, 2024. He had served on the LaMoille CUSD 303 Board of Education.

Glen F. “Pete” Mayhall, 83, died February 6, 2024. He was a member of the school board for Villa Grove CUSD 302.

Ellen Murray, 81, died March 5, 2024. Ellen formerly worked for the Illinois Association of School Boards as Director of Information Services/Librarian.

David Ogle, 95, died March 16, 2024. He was a past member and president of the school board for Bushnell-Prairie City CUSD 170.

Rick Olson, 68, died March 27, 2024. He had served as a member of the Morris CHSD 101 school board.

James Paul, 92, died March 10, 2024. He was a past member and president of Monmouth-Roseville CUSD 238 Board of Education.

Lewis Pierce, 85, died March 19, 2024. He had served on the Creston CCSD 161 school board.

Samuel Reynolds, 86, died February 29, 2024. He was a past member and president of the school board for Jersey CUSD 100.

James Sample, 73, died March 22, 2024. He served on the Edinburg CUSD 4 school board.

Roger G. Scherr, 74, died February 1, 2024. He was a past member of the Prairie Central CUSD 8 Board of Education.

Michael Strohecker, 76, died February 12, 2024. He was a bus driver and school board member for Pearl City CUSD 200.

Robert “Bob” Thoele, 93, died March 1, 2024. He had served on the board of education for Teutopolis CUSD 50.

Terrance L. “Terry” Tranquilli, 80, died March 6, 2024. He was a past member of the Riverton CUSD 14 Board of Education.

Christa M. Waller, 87, died February 7, 2024. She served on the Monmouth-Roseville CUSD 238 school board.

Rodney Allen “Rock” Yuskis, 78, died February 17, 2024. He was a past member of the school board for Warsaw CUSD 316. 

Submissions to the Journal’s Milestones section can be sent to communications@iasb.com.

“Good schools remain a top priority for Illinois and most continue to think: Every child deserves a quality education; Teachers are hard-working and underpaid; and Schools in their community are pretty good. But school is harder than it used to be, in almost every way. The public supports solutions: More funding for schools, teachers, and paraprofessionals; Ensuring fair benefits for retirement; Investment in mental health and making schools safer; Students with special needs having the resources they need to succeed; Teachers and parents leading in the classroom without input from politicians.”

— The State of Education in Illinois 2023-2024 Report, Illinois Education Association, March 2024.

“Spurred by mass shootings, thousands of school districts have hired companies to produce detailed digital maps that can help police, firefighters and medical professionals respond more quickly in emergencies. More than 20 states have enacted or proposed digital school mapping measures in the past few years, according to an Associated Press analysis aided by the bill-tracking software Plural. … A U.S. Department of Justice review of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, noted police had only ‘a basic map” that didn’t show windows or doors connecting classrooms as they waited to confront the gunman.”

— “School shootings prompt more states to fund digital maps for first responders,” by David A. Lieb, Associated Press, March 2024.

Insights

“Teachers have mixed feelings about school resource officers, and whether their presence makes schools feel safer. Some see SROs as direct threats to students of color and those with disabilities who data show are disproportionately disciplined or arrested at school compared to their peers. Others see police in schools as necessary for keeping serious student misbehavior in check. Some point to SROs as being trusted adults who can serve as mentors to students. In other words, the debate over police in schools is far from settled.”

— “What 3 Teachers Think About Eliminating School Resource Officers,” by Eesha Pendharkar, Education Week, July 2023.